Summary
Over the course of many decades, Nintendo has created and launched numerous handheld consoles that changed the industry forever, andone of the most beloved ones was the 32-bit machine known as theGame Boy Advance. Fortunately for their fans, this incredible (albeit short-lived) system was not just about the high-quality graphics, since it also had an extensive catalog of high-quality exclusive games.
Nintendo has ported some of their best Game Boy Advance games to other consoles, mainly thanks to services like the Virtual Console and/or Nintendo Switch Online. However, there are still several other great exclusives that are stuck on the 32-bit handheld, and the big N hasn’t made them available anywhere else. The following eight GBA games are some of the most egregious examples of this practice.
Yoshi: Topsy-Turvy, also known asYoshi’s Universal Gravitationin Europe and Japan, is without a doubt one of the most bizarre yet distinct titles in the Game Boy Advance’s entire catalog. This is because, as both of its titles imply, this is one of the few games on the handheld that utilizes the gyroscopic controls of its cartridge in order to offer players a brand-new platforming experience.
Due to its unconventional control scheme,Yoshi: Topsy-Turvygot a mixed reception when it was first released, but it eventually gained a small cult following due to its originality, colorful graphics and catchy soundtrack. It’s most likely that Nintendo never tried to port it to other systems, due to these special mechanics that can’t be easily replicated. Nevertheless, the Nintendo Switch does have gyroscopic control built inside the console, so a Nintendo Switch Online re-release could work perfectly.
A Great But Forgotten Game From An Already Obscure Nintendo Franchise
Custom Robo GX
There’s no denying thatCustom Robois one of the most tragically underrated Nintendo franchises. It’s so obscure that many fans have no idea that it had an entry that was exclusive to the Game Boy Advance,titledCustom Robo GX, which was never released outside of Japan.
It holds the fascinating distinction of being the only game in the series to be in 2D instead of 3D and yet,Custom Robo GXproved that its unique formula of customizing little robots and making them fight in expansive arenas can also work extremely well in just two dimensions. On top of that, the music, graphics and story were also as high-quality as always. A new port or remaster ofCustom Robo GXon a modern system would be the perfect opportunity to allow players from other countries to finally experience this hidden gem.
To no one’s surprise, puzzle games thrived on Nintendo’s handhelds, and the Game Boy Advance was no exception. However, one of the best puzzle titles on the system is still stuck in it,and it unfortunately can’t be played anywhere else:Dr. Mario & Puzzle League. As its name implies, this is actually a combination of two excellent video games: an enhanced portable version ofDr. Mario 64and a brand-new version ofPanel de Pon,only that, unlike its predecessors, it lacks anyYoshiorPokemonthemes.
The mechanics of these games are so polished and engaging that they are almost addictive and, with Nintendo delving into the world of handheld gaming with the hybrid nature of the Nintendo Switch, a lot of people should get to experienceDr. Mario & Puzzle Leagueonce again via Nintendo Switch Online. Another interesting option would be to re-release it on smartphones, even though the company rarely ports their old games onto mobile devices.
The strange but belovedWarioWareseries actually got its start on the Game Boy Advance, with the release of the originalWarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!in 2003. However, whereas that game was eventually ported to Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online,its sequel,WarioWare: Twisted!is still 100% exclusive to the 32-bit handheld. This can be chalked up to one simple but important reason: its gyroscopic controls.
Similarly toYoshi: Topsy-Turvy, theWarioWare: Twisted!cartridge had built-in gyroscopic controls that allowed players to tilt the console in order to affect gravity and the gameplay. This resulted in some of the most bizarre, creative and exciting microgames in the entire series, most of which could never be replicated on subsequent consoles. Once again, the gyroscopic controls of the Nintendo Switch should allow for a modern port and/or re-release of this GBA classic.
Excellent Ports Of Three Classic SNES Platformers
Donkey Kong Country
While the Game Boy Advance obviously had an extensive catalog of amazing original games, it was also famous for its many different ports of SNES games, which allowed gamers to play classic 16-bit titles on the go. Some of these ports, like theSuper Mario Advanceseries, were eventually carried over to other consoles,but the GBA versions of theDonkey Kong Countrytrilogy are still only legally available on the 32-bit handheld.
They do have some glaring differences when compared to the SNES versions, like more colorful graphics, slightly altered music and a few extra levels and bosses, and yet the GBADonkey Kong Countrygames are still just as atmospheric, immersive and challenging as the originals. While it may seem unnecessary to port these games onto modern consoles (seeing as the SNESDonkey Kong Countrytrilogy is readily available on the Nintendo Switch), Nintendo has also re-released the Game BoyDonkey Kong Landseries on Nintendo Switch Online quite recently, so there’s no reason the GBA trilogy shouldn’t get the same treatment.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swordswas the first entry in theLegend of Zeldaseries released on the Game Boy Advance, and, curiously enough, it actually is a collection of two different but equally solid games: an enhanced port of the SNES classic,A Link to the Past, and the first multiplayer game in the franchise,Four Swords.
Technically speaking, these games can be played separately on other consoles: The original SNES version ofA Link to the Pastis available on multiple online services, whileFour Swordsgot a standalone port on DSiWare back in 2011, even though it was only available for less than a month before it was delisted. Nevertheless, the original GBA versions of these great titles (with their respective unique features, like the new exclusiveA Link to the Pastdungeon, Palace of the Four Sword) can only be experienced by booting up the 32-bit handheld. Nintendo could easily make them both available on the Nintendo Switch Online service, and even add some much-needed online functionality toFour Swords, so fans across the world can play with their friends.
Game Freak and The Pokemon Company are infamous for not allowing Nintendo to port their old-schoolPokemongames to any modern systems. As a result, all the Generation 3Pokemontitles are still 100% stuck in the console they were originally released on, the Game Boy Advance,and one of them is the critically acclaimedPokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, remakes ofPokemon Red and Blue, two iconic games that had already aged poorly by 2004.
This all means thatPokemon FireRed and LeafGreenallowed fans to re-experience the original Kanto region, with its simple but effective story, its memorable characters and its vast collection of classic Pokemon, but with the enhancements of Generation 3, like better graphics, better music, polished battle mechanics and the addition of the Dark and Steel types. To this day,Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreenare still the absolute best way to play through the Kanto region (arguably better thanLet’s Go Pikachu & Let’s Go Eevee), so it’s a real shame that they are only available on the Game Boy Advance.
Of course, Generation 3 ofPokemonbegan with the release of 2002’sRuby and Sapphire,two solid titles that are also 100% exclusive to the 32-bit handheld. However, later down the line, in 2004, Nintendo, Game Freak, and The Pokemon Company launched a third enhanced version known asPokemon Emerald, which quickly became one of the best-received games in the entire franchise.
Following in the footsteps of other third versions, likePokemon YelloworPokemon Crystal,Pokemon Emeraldhas all the good qualities ofRuby and Sapphire(solid sprite work, incredible music, likable characters, a unique new story and one of the best regional Pokedexes in the entire series) and adds a multitude of new content that elevated the experience, like better teams for the Gym Leaders and Elite 4, slight improvements to the plot, brand-new items and locations and, most important of all, the legendary Battle Frontier. It’s really odd and quite tragic that such a well-made and belovedPokemongame can only be experienced by booting up a 23-year-old handheld, and Nintendo should try to rectify this in the near future.
